National Marina Day celebration set for Saturday

The first industrywide Welcome to the Water on National Marina Day takes place Saturday, with 16 industry partners joining the Association of Marina Industries for a national campaign aimed at getting potential boaters on the water.

More than 250 participants are listed on the website, including some from Australia, Canada, Cuba and Guam. Participants range from dealers and marinas to safety groups and manufacturers, and all are slated to hold an event designed to raise boating awareness.

Partners include the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, the American Boat and Yacht Council, the American Sailing Association, Take Me Fishing and Boat US.

AMI has promoted the initiative for 12 years, but this is the first year that Discover Boating has joined the endeavor, setting a goal of getting 10,000 people out on the water.

Local media outlets around the country have reported on the effort, often featuring dealers and marinas that plan events for the public. They will vary in size and activities, but all are free and open to the public. Some will include on-water demonstrations and boat rides, hands-on training and boater education, and safety and skills seminars, as well as opportunities to mingle with boaters and information about how to get started in the boating lifestyle.

Click here to visit the Welcome to the Water on National Marina Day website and and here for information at the Discover Boating website.